slighting

[slahy-ting] /ˈslaɪ tɪŋ/
adjective
1.
derogatory and disparaging; belittling.
Origin
1605-15; slight + -ing2
Related forms
slightingly, adverb

slight

[slahyt] /slaɪt/
adjective, slighter, slightest.
1.
small in amount, degree, etc.:
a slight increase; a slight odor.
2.
of little importance, influence, etc.; trivial:
a slight cut.
3.
slender or slim; not heavily built.
4.
frail; flimsy; delicate:
a slight fabric.
5.
of little substance or strength.
verb (used with object)
6.
to treat as of little importance.
7.
to treat (someone) with indifference; ignore, especially pointedly or contemptuously; snub:
to be slighted by society.
8.
to do negligently; scamp:
to slight one's studies.
noun
9.
an act or instance of slighting indifference or treatment:
Slights marred his work.
10.
a pointed and contemptuous discourtesy; affront:
She considered not being invited an unforgivable slight.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English (adj.) smooth, sleek, slender; compare Old English -sliht- in eorth-slihtes even with ground; cognate with German schlicht, Old Norse slēttr, Gothic slaihts smooth
Related forms
slighter, noun
slightly, adverb
slightness, noun
overslight, adjective
unslighted, adjective
Synonyms
2. insignificant, trifling, paltry. 3. See slender. 4. weak, feeble, fragile. 5. unsubstantial, inconsiderable. 6. disdain, scorn. Slight, disregard, neglect, overlook mean to pay no attention or too little attention to someone or something. To slight is to give only superficial attention to something important: to slight one's work. To disregard is to pay no attention to a person or thing: to disregard the rules; in some circumstances, to disregard may be admirable: to disregard a handicap. To neglect is to shirk paying sufficient attention to a person or thing: to neglect one's correspondence. To overlook is to fail to see someone or something (possibly because of carelessness): to overlook a bill that is due. 9. neglect, disregard, inattention; disdain, scorn. 10. See insult.
Antonyms
1. considerable.
Examples from the web for slighting
  • He was always more likely to think that somebody was slighting him.
  • Calling basic collection care a management function helps museum authorities avoid the risks of slighting it.
  • At the risk of slighting many equally relevant ones, only a few more will be mentioned here.
  • Therefore, no development would result in slighting reduced impacts.
  • She felt he neglected her, and sometimes she viewed his conduct as slighting or insulting.
British Dictionary definitions for slighting

slighting

/ˈslaɪtɪŋ/
adjective
1.
characteristic of a slight; disparaging; disdainful: in a slighting manner
Derived Forms
slightingly, adverb

slight

/slaɪt/
adjective
1.
small in quantity or extent
2.
of small importance; trifling
3.
slim and delicate
4.
lacking in strength or substance
5.
(Southwest English, dialect) ill
verb (transitive)
6.
to show indifference or disregard for (someone); snub
7.
to treat as unimportant or trifling
8.
(US) to devote inadequate attention to (work, duties, etc)
noun
9.
an act or omission indicating supercilious neglect or indifference
Derived Forms
slightness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old Norse slēttr smooth; related to Old High German slehtr, Gothic slaihts, Middle Dutch slecht simple
Word Origin and History for slighting

slight

adj.

early 14c., "flat, smooth; hairless," probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse slettr "smooth, sleek," from Proto-Germanic *slikhtaz (cf. Old Saxon slicht; Low German slicht "smooth, plain common;" Old English -sliht "level," attested in eorðslihtes "level with the ground;" Old Frisian sliucht "smooth, slight," Middle Dutch sleht "even, plain," Old High German sleht, Gothic slaihts "smooth"), probably from a collateral form of PIE *sleig- "to smooth, glide, be muddy," from root *(s)lei- "slimy" (see slime (n.)).

Sense evolution probably is from "smooth" (c.1300), to "slim, slender; of light texture," hence "not good or strong; insubstantial, trifling, inferior, insignificant" (early 14c.). Meaning "small in amount" is from 1520s. Sense of German cognate schlecht developed from "smooth, plain, simple" to "bad, mean, base," and as it did it was replaced in the original senses by schlicht, a back-formation from schlichten "to smooth, to plane," a derivative of schlecht in the old sense [Klein].

v.

c.1300, "make plain or smooth," from slight (adj.) Meaning "treat with indifference" (1590s) is from the adjective in sense of "having little worth." Related: Slighted; slighting.

n.

1550s, "small amount or weight," from slight (v.). Meaning "act of intentional neglect or ignoring out of displeasure or contempt" is from 1701, probably via 17c. phrase make a slight of (1610s).

Idioms and Phrases with slighting

slight

see: in the least (slightest)